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OrnHansen01

Photos by Brian Addison.

They call it The Corner.

Perched at 3rd and Cerritos, surrounded by homes and an elaborate wedding venue, sits a trio of businesses: Yellow 108, Lord Windsor Roasters, and Orn Hansen. And rather than speak of their own business at first, Orn Hansen owners Robby Roda and Rodelle Bas speak of their Corner.

“It’s all of us, here together,” Bas says. “We try to promote together, we try to do things together.”

Roda jumps in: “I think we’re creating a story—with The Corner, with the brands we carry.”

OrnHansen04It’s a befitting sentiment to be introduced to when one first visits Orn Hansen, the “general goods” store that caters to men and women. Its aesthetic, though different than their neighbors, draws from The Corner: salvaged pieces, ranging from ladders to ropes, have been repurposed for shelves and decor while their clothes keep it all-American and mostly Californian-made.

The Oregonian (Roda) and Austinian (Bas) pair exude what attracts Long Beachers to Long Beach: Roda, a craft beer distributor on the side, discovered our fair town through his beer route—appropriate given our love for the suds—while Bas had a predilection towards vintage clothing in Los Angeles and, exhausted with the dreadful five-mile-turned-into-five-hour commute across the City of Angels, opted for Long Beach.

“Long Beach is like this untapped place,” Roda said. “You have this saturation to the north and saturation down in Orange County—so we’re right in between these two giant markets. And I think this can become a key destination point.”

The now-Long Beach downtowners have witnessed a quick change: from the East Village where they reside to their own business’s neighborhood, Long Beach is continuing an upwards trend towards boutique-everything, from coffeeshops—like their neighbor, Lord Windsor—to wine and beer—such as the recently-opened Public Beer and Wine Shop.

“I think that’s why we love Long Beach: it’s undefinable,” Bas said. “But we feel like we’re going to be part of that definition, whatever it may be. We want to be part of that process.” That process, at least by their definition, is mixing in history with contemporary aesthetics and interests.

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Their name harkens back to Roda’s grandparents’ relatives—the Orns—of which rumors claim a Hansen saved the King of Sweden, who granted the hero the title of Orn, or eagle. Upon migration, the Hansen was dropped and the name Orn was kept, something which Roda notes could mean there are connected Hansens and Orns throughout the world. The Orn tidbit explains the shop’s eagle logo, which was derived from an ancient piece of Swedish pottery and appropriated by Christian Watson of handcrafted goods maker 1924.

Their space, though small, is open, clean, and sustainable; think modern meets rustic. All of the display mantels were made by the pair.

Their goods cater to men and women: from handcrafted soaps to jewelry to jeans and candles, one can find what one would expect to find back in the day at a general goods store—only this time, with a flair of style and a gesture toward the craftsmanship of local goods. Each brand was selected by the two to not only emphasize that America still produces goods, but that quality hasn’t slipped.

“These things are not just things I like, but [things I] wear, like Railcar denim and Pointer Brand,” Roda said, pointing to his own Pointer Brand jacket he was wearing while gesturing to another of the brand’s jackets, a navy blue-and-white striped version of the same cut, sitting for sale. “The whole idea was to bring in brands we already knew about and as well as things we found through research—as long as it was made here in America. Our main is goal is Californian manufacturers, but others from around the country as well.”

They partially achieved the discovery of new brands through their Instagram, which boasts over 20,000 followers and was featured by the mobile photo app as a profile to follow. And they don’t shy from Long Beach brands as well: from Jammy Jam’s homemade fruit spreads to Bless the Theory jewelry to Long Beach Jerky Company, Orn Hansen plans to keep to the “keep it local” mantra.

“Almost all the jewelry is from Long Beach,” Bas said, immediately gesturing to Bless the Theory: “That’s from Charlene. I think there’s something beautiful about knowing where things came from and knowing who makes them. I think people can fall love with objects more if they know the story.”

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These relationships they’ve built go back to Roda’s idea that he and Bas are creating a larger story for Long Beach. Neither of them shy in discussing their “lifelong friendships” with not just the businesses they carry, but businesses who might be doing the same as them.

Like many Millenials, they view community as paramount; community, togetherness, and working with neighboring businesses rather than against one another are they keys they believe will create better neighborhoods, better cities, and for them, a better home in the place the’ve decided to settle.

“There’s some people who dig that—y’know, to destroy other businesses and to have a battle or rivalry,” Roda said. “But that’s not our ideology or philosophy at all. The more the merrier. If there are people who are going to carry the same stuff that we have, that’s okay. They’re gonna have stuff we don’t and vice versa and we can encourage business: ‘Oh, we don’t have this brand. Well, there’s this shop on the other side of town—they might have it there.’ That’s what community is all about.”

Cool. Small. Interesting. Local. These are the values that Orn Hansen will attempt to perpetuate.

“Sometimes people are genuinely surprised when they come here and realize that most things in here are made in California and everything is made in America,” Bas said. “Y’know, we still make great things in this country and right here in Long Beach—and our shop in proof.”

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Orn Hansen is located at 306 Cerritos Avenue, at the corner of Cerritos and 3rd Street. Visit ornhansen.com, or follow the shop on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

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